The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected pleural plaques is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded because of the need for additional development, specifically obtaining outstanding VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's pleural plaques.
- Claimed conditions
- pleural plaques
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2016
- Citation
- 1603074
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1603074.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis with pleural plaques and vascular dementia as secondary to asbestosis with pleural plaques due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for respiratory disorders prior to October 24, 2018; a rating in excess of 10 percent from October 24, 2018; and an evaluation in excess of 60 percent from November 6, 2024 is dismissed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed for his claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Board found that the issue had been resolved by a prior rating decision granting service connection and assigning a 50% disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his current level of severity for COPD with asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis and plaques. The Veteran was previously rated at 30 percent but may be entitled to a higher rating.
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